Derek Jeter, who wasn't scheduled to travel, did extra work in the cage with hitting coach Kevin Long, who oversaw the session before driving to Bradenton.

"I thought it went outstanding," Long said.

Long once again said eliminating Jeter's stride is "a work in progress" that is going to take some time. Long said the front foot coming up, similar to Albert Pujols', is fine; it's the stride forward that the pair is working to get rid of.

"You're going to have good days with it and bad days with it," he said. "It's something we're going to work on every single day."

On his own schedule

Asked if he was throwing a bullpen session yesterday, Mariano Rivera smiled.

"A bullpen? It's raining," he said.

When would he throw again? "Tomorrow, maybe," the 41-year-old said. "It's March 1. It's early."

Rivera threw just six innings last spring and will throw about the same this year.

Girardi said OF Greg Golson, hit in the head Sunday by an A.J. Burnett pitch during batting practice, took BP Tuesday and likely will play Wednesday . . . Russell Martin will get his second game at DH Wednesday but Girardi said he didn't know yet when he would catch for the first time . . . Bartolo Colon is scheduled to start Friday, with CC Sabathia going Saturday and Phil Hughes on Sunday.

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